Child s carriage



O. ASKAM. 01mm CARRIAGE- No. 32,271; Patented May 14, 1861'.

WITNESSES.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE..-

CHARLES ASKAM, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CHILDS CARRIAGE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 32,271, dated May 14, 1861.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES AsxA of 1 the city of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in the Construction of Carriages for Children; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists in the peculiar construction arrangement and combination, fully described hereafter, of the body of a childs carriage, two ear shaped springs, a rear axle, and transverse bar to which the front axle is swiveled, the whole forming with the wheels a light, cheap simple and durable carriage.

In order to enable others skilledin the art to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation. I

On reference to the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this, specification, v

Figure l is a side view of my improved carriage for children. Fig. 2 a transverse section of Fig. 1 on the line 1, 2. Fig. 3 a view illustrating the application of my i11- vention to a modified form of carriage.

A is the front axle of the carriage having the usual small wheels B, and this axle is arranged to swivel on a pin passing through the transverse'bar C, the front of the axle having projections a to which is hinged a curved handle D, the latter being used for drawing the carriage over the ground.

E is the rear axle having the usual large wheels F, and to this axle are screwed the rear ends of the springs G which are bent to the peculiar ear-shaped form represented in the drawing, the front ends of the springs being secured to the transverse bar C.

The body H of the carriage is of a suitable form for accommodating one or two children, as circumstances may require, and is secured directly to the springs G at the most elevated point of the latter, the center of gravity of the body being considerably in the rear of the point where it is secured to the springs.

Then the body of the carriage is empty it assumes the position shown in black lines Fig. 1 but, when loaded, it has a tendency to assume the position shown by red lines.

It will be evident that if the springs were were made so light and elastic that they .would not present a sufficiently rigid medium by which to connect the rear axle with the transverse bar C.

By the above described arrangement of the body in respect to the springs, however,

the moment the child is placed in the carriagev its weight is exerted on the springs through a leverage the amount of which depends upon the distance of the center of gravity of the loaded body from the point i where the latter is secured to the springs, these springs being so acted upon as to change their form and throw the front wheels forward as shown by the red lines to an extent depending upon the weight of the child. I am thus enabled to use springs sufficiently strong to afford a rigid medium for connecting the rear axle to the transverse bar (3 and'yet sufficiently yielding'and elastic,

owing to the leverage of the body, to afford the desired comfort to the child, and prevent disagreeable jars when the carriage has to be drawn over uneven ground.

It will be evident that the desirable result is attained partly by the peculiar arrangethereto in the manner described, these springs 9 0 would not perform the desired duties with the same ease and delicacy as the ear shaped springs, which possess the further advantage of allowing the front axle to be swiv-,

eled to an extent which permits the carriage to be turned around abrupt corners with facility.

Childrens carriages are occasionally made with a single wheel in front, the handle being secured to the body. In order to apply my improvement to this class of carriages form at the front end of each spring an eye, that of one spring for receiving one journal, and the eyeof the other spring for receiving the opposite journal of the axle to which the single wheel is secured, as seen in Fig. 3. In this case the front axle takes the place of the transverse bar C the result as regards the action of the body on the springs and the rear axle E, and cross bar 0, when conthe double use of the latter being precisely structed, arranged, and combined, as and for the same as that described above. the purpose herein set forth.

I do not desire to claim broadly, securing In testimony whereof, I have signed my 1.5 5 the body of the carriage to springs Which name to this specification, in the presence of serve to connect the front and rear axles totWo subscribing Witnesses.

, gether nor do I desire to claim the separate I use of the curved springs, but CHARLES ASKAM' I claim as my invention, and desire to se- Witnesses: 10 cure by Letters Patent, HENRY I-IoWsoN,

The ear shaped springs G, G, the body H, JOHN WHITE. 

